Mountain-conquering snowboarder tries for X Games

The first time Amanda Propst snowboarded down a mountain, it was do or die.

Her oldest brother had taken her to the top of Brian Head Peak and then, like any self-respecting big brother would, left her. Not on purpose. He just preferred the company of his friends to a tag-along little sister, especially since she didn't know how to snowboard.

"I think he just wanted to go hang out with the guys. But I didn't know it would be like that," Propst, 28, says of the experience. "Getting down the mountain was very adventurous."

That was in 2000. Propst has learned a lot in the 13 years since her introduction to snowboarding. Last year, she went into the snowboarding season ranked sixth in the nation; this year, she hopes to qualify for the X Games. Her supporters say she even has a strong shot at making an Olympic team.

"She's awful damn good," says Randy McGhie, owner of McGhie's Ski, Bike and Board, Propst's sponsor. "She's got a good chance to make an Olympic team. I don't know of a single woman in Las Vegas who is as good as she is."

Propst has been a fixture at the Las Vegas Ski and Snowboard Resort since she took a job there as a lift attendant after graduating from Bonanza High School in 2002. Since then, she has quietly made a name for herself in snowboarding circles, winning first place in at least 15 contests during the past couple of years.

"She's a great role model for a lot of the youth. It shows that competitive snowboarding isn't just for the boys," says Kevin Stickelman, president and general manager of Las Vegas Ski and Snowboard Resort.

Her success also makes believers out of those who can't imagine a top snowboarder living in the desert.

"A lot of people don't think about it because no one correlates Las Vegas with winter sports," Stickelman adds. "To have an athlete like Amanda out there promoting it is a big help."

During the winter, Propst is on the mountain, practicing, every chance she gets. Her job as a bartender at Margaritaville gives her the freedom to spend mornings and afternoons snowboarding and evenings working. Right now, she's concentrating on rails and backcountry skills that will help her in extreme competitions.

Propst, who was born in California, is the youngest of four children. When she was 5, the family moved to Las Vegas.

"I always told my friends that Amanda was my prize for raising two boys," jokes her mother, Merrily Whalen. "She was an easy kid her whole life."

Whalen, a skier herself, and her ex-husband, Propst's father, exposed their children to outdoor sports when they were young, leaving an impression on them that they have carried with them into adulthood. Their oldest daughter played soccer while their two sons played ice hockey. When the family visited grandparents in Colorado, the kids spent their free time skiing and snowboarding.

Propst, a cheerleader in high school, was always athletic, her mother says.

"She likes to try anything new and snowboarding was new at the time," Whalen says. "I just thought it was good exercise and a good outlet for her."

Whalen's not surprised that her daughter has become so competitive.

"That's kind of Amanda. She's a little spunky. If there's a challenge out there, she's got to figure out how to conquer it," she says.

Though she came late to snowboarding, Propst was a natural at it, says her boyfriend and coach, Jason Mullen.

"When we first met, she wasn't really good at it, yet," says Mullen, who used to ride on the pro circuit. "Her personality is one of a kind when it comes to snowboarding. I've never met anyone as competitive as her on a snowboard. She's very involved and competitive. If she doesn't do it right, she finds the best way to do it and achieves her goal."

Mullen says he recognized early on her potential on the board and pushed her to learn. On a scale of one to 10, Mullen says her skill set is an 11. She's an all-around rider who excels at riding the rails. But she's also an accomplished free rider.

"I just loved it and I ended up being good at it," Propst says. "I'm good at competing, too. You see the rest of the field and realize you measure up. You just keep with it, keep trying. It's crazy how eventually you'll be the best."

Contact reporter Sonya Padgett at
spadgett@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-4564.
Follow @StripSonya on Twitter.